The Exiles - At The Roxie
( A Bunker Hill movie in a San Francisco blog? CitySleuth explains why).
Homer and his buddies may spend all day hanging around at home but they usually go out at night. They deposit Yvonne at a local movie theater, the Roxie, before speeding off to hit the local 'Indian' bars.
Then ... This is the view looking north on Broadway towards 5th Street (map). The converging street lights, the highlighted tram rails, the flashing neon of three cheek by jowl movie theaters on the right, all add glitz to the scene. They are the Roxie, the Cameo and the Arcade, at 518, 528 and 534 S. Broadway.
... and Now, they say 'The Show Must Go On' but that's no longer true on Broadway, Los Angeles. All three theaters have closed but their marquees are still there, as too is the vertical rooftop Roxie sign. The tram tacks have long since been torn up.
Then ... In this shot in the opposite direction the Roxie and its neighbors are on the left.
... and Now, the harsh light of day and downtown changes over the decades - neon seems to be out of style theses days - have dimmed the excitement. At least the original twin-globe street lamps are still there
Then ... Yvonne buys a ticket at the Roxie's art deco booth. These shots were supposedly filmed on the same evening but the movie showing here is The Iron Sheriff from 1957 featuring Sterling Hayden whereas in the above view Lana Turner in Imitation Of Life from 1959 was on the bill, reflecting the extended period over which Kent MacKenzie filmed the movie.
... and Now, the lobby of the Roxie Theatre is presently a retail store. There are plans however to reopen it in a move towards revitalizing the neighborhood. Note the mosaic sidewalk pattern in front of the theater, still there after all these years.
Then ... As Homer and friends drive off we see Ohrbachs apparel store across the street and a Newberry dime store on the corner across 5th.
... and Now, the tenants and storefronts not surprisingly are different now.
When Yvonne leaves the theater she briefly waits but knows she isn't about to be picked up, left to find her own way home while the boys continue their carousing.